Shūrā: From Principle to Practice

Abstract

Organisational tensions are often inevitable, sometimes complex, and certainly challenging. The emergence of different ideas, ideals and the pursuit of diverse aspirations, more often than not, leads to conflict. Conflict, conveyed as tensions, is unavoidable and perhaps necessary even, in order to institute organisational change. In a society that adopts an Islamic system of governance, in the form of the national concept of Malay Islamic Monarchy, one would expect the application of Islamic approaches to conflict resolution to be the norm in Brunei. This paper discusses Bruneian Muslims’ attitudes and perceptions towards the concept of Shūrā, as well as, the challenges faced by organisations towards the effective implementation of this essential Qur’ānic function. Shūrā, as an important institution in all forms of Islamic organisation, plays a functional role beyond conflict resolution, but more importantly, for inculcating mutual respect through the observance of the Islamic etiquette of disagreement. Yet, there is disparity between Shūrā as a concept, as the principles for conflict avoidance and resolution, and actual practice, and many Muslims seem to lack knowledge and understanding on Shūrā.

Keywords: Shūrā (mutual consultation), Conflicts, Islamic Governance and Bruneian Muslims.